Weight Bar Locking Mechanism

ABSTRACT

Improvements in a weight bar locking mechanism that secures a zig-sag or bent curling bar or straight bar. Curl bars have only limited areas where the bar can be rested where the bar is perpendicular to the weights. The central area is typically fairly narrow in dimension and placing the curl bar on this central area can be difficult and is the bar is not placed into the central area the curl be can be unbalanced. The locking mechanism captures both the top and bottom of the curl bar to lock the bar and prevents the curl bar from falling if the curl bar is not properly placed onto the locking mechanism. The locking mechanism forces the retained sides of the curl bar like an over-center torsion bar type arrangement to forces both sides of the curl bar to be essentially parallel orientation.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of Provisional Application Ser. No.62/107,154 filed Jan. 23, 2015 the entire contents of which is herebyexpressly incorporated by reference herein.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

Not Applicable

INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to improvements in an apparatus used with freeweights. More particularly, the present weight bar locking mechanismcreates a locking mechanism that helps maintain a bar in a parallelrelationship to the ground and prevents the weight from beingunintentionally displaced.

2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37CFR 1.97 and 1.98

Many people exercise using weights to increase their strength, forgeneral conditioning and or for rehabilitation. While some strengthtraining equipment use cables or other resistance means, there are stilla large number of people that prefer to use free weights connected witha rod. Some exercises use a straight rod while others use a curl barthat can take a variety of spline shaped bends that allow the wrists ofthe person lifting the weight to be in a more natural pronate orsupination position.

Because the curl bar includes multiple bends, the bar is often difficultto balance when it is placed in a stanchion. While the curl bar can beplaced on supports placed near the weights, in use a person performing aweight bar generally leans forward and lifts the weight from a centrallocation where balancing the curl bar on a narrow support is difficult.A number of patents and or publications have been made to address theseissues. Exemplary examples of patents and or publication that try toaddress this/these problem(s) are identified and discussed below.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,727,764 issued on Mar. 17, 1998 to James P. Angelesdiscloses a Self-Locking Quick Release bracket. The bracket pieces areseparate and are located on separate stanchions. The locking mechanismon each stanchion retains the weight at an extreme end where the weightsare secured to the lifting bar. This patent does not provide a lockingmechanism that is located at the center of the bar where a user placesand lifts the curl bar. The locking bar simply holds the weight toprevent the weight from being accidentally knocked off the stanchion.The bracket is tilted to remove the weight from the bracket.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,447,433 issued on Sep. 10, 2002 to Gilbert Reyesdiscloses a Weight-Bar Support Structure with Retractable Arms. As theweight is removed the arms retract to allow the weight to be lifted fromthe support structure. Without lifting the bar, the weight can't beremoved from the support structure. The support structure is alsolocated at the opposing ends of the lifting bar as opposed to located inthe center of the weight plates. This patent requires movement orsliding of the bar to remove the bar from the support structure asopposed to a locking mechanism that is rotated to allow the bar to belifted or removed from a central position.

What is needed is a weight bar locking mechanism that retains the curlbar or straight bar in a horizontal locked position until the lock isreleased to allow a user to exercise. Once the exercise is complete thecurl bar or straight bar is placed onto the locking mechanism where thecurl bar or straight bar is retained and locked against accidentaldislodging.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the weight bar locking mechanism to operate with acurling bar or straight bar. A curling bar typically has a uniquezig-sag or bent configuration that allows a person to grip the bar witha more natural rotation of the wrists of the person who is exercising.Curl bars have only limited areas where the bar can be rested where thebar is perpendicular to the weights placed on the ends of the curl bar.

It is an object of the weight bar locking mechanism for the mechanism toretain a curl be on the central portion of the curl bar that isconcentric with the weights placed on the ends of the curl bar. Thecentral area is typically fairly narrow in dimension and placing thecurl bar on this central area can be difficult and if the bar is notplaced into the central area the curl be can be unbalanced. The lockingmechanism captures both the top and bottom of the curl bar to lock thebar and prevents the curl bar from falling if the curl bar is notproperly placed onto the locking mechanism.

It is another object of the weight bar locking mechanism to lock thecurl bar with an over-center mechanism. As a curl bar is placed onto thelocking mechanism the mechanism flips from an open condition to a lockedposition as the curl bar is retained in a molder with a lockingmechanism that retains the curl bar in a pinched keeper that bothcenters the curl bar and retains the curl bar.

It is still another object of the weight bar locking mechanism to retainthe curl bar in a parallel structure that prevents one side of the curlbar from tipping off of the locking mechanism. The locking mechanismforces the retained sides of the curl bar like a torsion bar typearrangement that forces both sides of the curl bar to be essentiallyparallel with the horizon.

Various objects, features, aspects, and advantages of the presentinvention will become more apparent from the following detaileddescription of preferred embodiments of the invention, along with theaccompanying drawings in which like numerals represent like components.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a weight bar locking mechanism with acurl bar.

FIG. 2 shows a detailed view of the weight bar locking mechanism.

FIG. 3 shows a first view of the weight bar locking mechanism with acurl bar being brought to the locking mechanism.

FIG. 4 shows a second view of the weight bar locking mechanism with acurl bar entering to the locking mechanism.

FIG. 5 shows a third view of the weight bar locking mechanism with acurl bar being initially locked.

FIG. 6 shows a fourth view of the weight bar locking mechanism with acurl bar completely locked and how to unlock and remove a curl bar.

FIG. 7 shows a top view of the weight bar locking mechanism.

FIG. 8 shows a perspective sectional view of the weight bar lockingmechanism of FIG. 7 cut through section 8-8.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a weight bar locking mechanism 20with a curl bar 18. This figure is a typical configuration where a userwould kneel or sit into the weight lifting apparatus and place theirchest onto the pad 17. A horizontal or level post 16 supports thelocking mechanism 20. A weight bar 18 having a bent curved configurationwith weights 19 placed at the ends of the weight bar 18. The lockingmechanism 20 supports the weight bar 18 at the narrow concentric portionof the curling bar and both retains and balances the curling bar 18 onthe horizontal or level post 16. A user unlocks and dislodges the weightbar 18 from the locking mechanism to exercise. Once the user completesthe exercise, the user places the weight bar 18 into the lockingmechanism 20 where the weight bar is retained and prevented from beingaccidentally dislodged.

FIG. 2 shows a detailed view of the weight bar locking mechanism 20 on amounting post 16. This detailed view shows the weight bar 18 as it isbeing placed into the locking mechanism. As the weight bar 18 is beinginserted, the weight bar 18 engages onto the front face of flapper 50.The weight bar 18 must be horizontally aligned within the upper jaws31/41 and the lower jaws 32/33 (not visible in this figure) of the leftand right plates 30/40 respectively. As the weight bar is placed intothe locking mechanism 20 the front face of the flapper 50 flips over andthe lower face 51 covers the opposing side of the weight bar 18. Thelocking tab 60 then rotates manually into a locking notch (not visiblein this view) to retain the flapper 50/51. The flapper 50/51 and thelocking tab 60 are separately retained by separate blots 70 (Not visiblein this figure) or shoulder bolts. Nuts or acorn nuts 71/72 are securedonto one or both sides of the bolts or shoulder bolts 70. A spring (notvisible in this figure) retains the flapper 50/51 in an open condition.Springs are located at one or more sides of the locking mechanism 20between the flapper 50/51 and the side plates 30/40. While a spring isdisclosed the flapper can be weighted such that the flapper willnaturally self-orient.

FIG. 3 shows a first view of the weight bar locking mechanism with acurl bar 18 being brought 91 to the locking mechanism. Torsion spring100 shown engaged in hole 52 helps maintain the flapper 50 in the openconfiguration shown in this figure. The weight bar is moved into theflapper 50 through the parallel slots in the side plates 30 and 40 (notshown). The lower flapper 60 is shown rotated away from the upperflapper 50. Holes 39 provide cosmetic styling and lightening of the sideplate 30. Screws, bolts or pivoting axis 82 allows the front flapper 50to rotate, while screw, bolt or pivoting axis 72 allows the rear flapperto rotate. The weight bar locking mechanism 20 is mounted, bolted,welded or otherwise secured to the frame 16 and or a cross tube 70 tosupport both the weight bar locking mechanism 20 and the weight bar 18with weights.

FIG. 4 shows a second view of the weight bar locking mechanism 20 with acurl bar entering to the locking mechanism. As the weight bar 18 ispushed into the weight bar locking mechanism 20, the front flapper 50moves 92 or rotates.

FIG. 5 shows a third view of the weight bar locking mechanism 20 with acurl bar 18 being initially locked. Once the weight bar is completelyplaced into the weight bar locking mechanism 20, a second arm 51 on thefront flapper 50 prevents the weight bar from being withdrawn. Thesecond safety lock arm 60 and 61 can be manually flipped to ensure thatthe arm 51 will not open. This essentially locks the weight bar 18 intoa box within the weight bar locking mechanism 20.

FIG. 6 shows a fourth view of the weight bar locking mechanism 20 with acurl bar 18 completely locked. Removal of the weight bar is accomplishedwhen the rear flapper is pulled open by pulling on the arm 61 of therear flapper to disengage the arm 60 from the tab 51 in the frontflapper 50. The weight bar 18 can then be withdrawn from the weight barlocking mechanism 20.

FIG. 7 shows a top view of the weight bar locking mechanism 20. Nuts oracorn nuts 71-74 secure the ends of the pivoting axis for the frontflapper 50 and the rear flapper 60. Torsion springs 100 and 101 areshown on each side of the front flapper 50. The two parallel side plates30 and 40 are shown secured to the frame 16 and cross pipe 15.

FIG. 8 shows a perspective sectional view of the weight bar lockingmechanism cut through section 8-8 of FIG. 7. The weight bar lockingmechanism 20 has a pair of parallel placed sides 40 and 30 (30 not shownin this view). The said parallel placed side 30 and 40 are rigidlyjoined together with cross pipe 15. The cross pipe 15 is secured tohorizontal or level pipe 16. While a particular arrangement of pipes areshown to mount and/or secure the weight bar locking mechanism 20,various other embodiments are contemplated to secure the weight barlocking mechanism 20.

The parallel placed sides 30 and 40 each having a slot 43 formed with afront surface 41 and a rear surface 42 sized to accept a rod or tubemember 18. The rod member 18 is a weight bar or other type shaft.Between said parallel placed side 30, 40 is a first flapper 50 having atleast two arms connected through a first common pivot 82. Also betweenthe parallel placed side 30, 40 is a second flapper 60 having at leastone arm connected through a second pivot 70. The first flapper 50 has atleast one of the two arms having with a step 54 where at least one arm60 of said second flapper engages into the step 54 to prevent the firstflapper 50 from rotating on the first common pivot 82.

The weight bar locking mechanism 20 further including at least onespring 100, 101 (shown in FIG. 7) that is engaged on the first flapper50 in hole 52 to favor rotation of the first flapper 50 in a firstdirection of rotation on the first common pivot 82. In the preferredembodiment the second flapper has two arms 60, 61 where the first armengages in the slot 54, and the second arm provides access for a user todislodge the first arm from the slot 54.

Thus, specific embodiments of a weight bar locking mechanism have beendisclosed. It should be apparent, however, to those skilled in the artthat many more modifications besides those described are possiblewithout departing from the inventive concepts herein. The inventivesubject matter, therefore, is not to be restricted except in the spiritof the appended claims.

1. A weight bar locking mechanism comprising: a pair of parallel placedsurfaces; said parallel placed side rigidly joined together; saidparallel placed surfaces each having a slot sized to accept a rodmember; between said parallel placed side is a first flapper having atleast two arms connected through a first common pivot; between saidparallel placed side is a second flapper having at least one armconnected through a second pivot, and said first flapper having at leastone of said two arms having a step where said at least one arm of saidsecond flapper engages into said step to prevent said first flapper fromrotating on said first common pivot.
 2. The weight bar locking mechanismaccording to claim 1 further including at least one spring engaged onsaid first flapper to favor rotation of said first flapper in a firstdirection of rotation on said first common pivot.
 3. The weight barlocking mechanism according to claim 1 wherein said first flapper isweighted to promote a preferred orientation.
 4. The weight bar lockingmechanism according to claim 1 wherein said rod member is a curling bar,straight bar or barbell.
 5. The weight bar locking mechanism accordingto claim 1 wherein said second flapper includes at least one arm.
 6. Theweight bar locking mechanism according to claim 5 wherein said secondflapper includes at least two arms having an acute angle between the atleast two arms of less than 90 degrees.
 7. The weight bar lockingmechanism according to claim 1 wherein said two arms on said firstflapper have an acute angle of less than 90 degrees.
 8. The weight barlocking mechanism according to claim 7 wherein said acute angle locatessaid rod member.
 9. The weight bar locking mechanism according to claim1 wherein said pair of parallel placed surfaces are made from metal. 10.The weight bar locking mechanism according to claim 1 wherein said firstflapper is made from plastic.
 11. The weight bar locking mechanismaccording to claim 1 wherein said second flapper is made from plastic.12. The weight bar locking mechanism according to claim 1 wherein whensaid at least one arm is rotated out of said step to remove said rodmember.
 13. The weight bar locking mechanism according to claim 1wherein said rod member rotates said first flapper when said rod memberis passed into said slot.
 14. The weight bar locking mechanism accordingto claim 1 wherein said first flapper member is biased with a spring.15. The weight bar locking mechanism according to claim 14 wherein saidspring biases said first flapper member to accept said rod member. 16.The weight bar locking mechanism according to claim 1 wherein said firstpivot is with a first shaft that connects with parallel placed surfaces.17. The weight bar locking mechanism according to claim 1 wherein saidsecond pivot is with a second shaft that connects within parallel placedsurfaces.
 18. The weight bar locking mechanism according to claim 1wherein said parallel placed surfaces are connected with at least onemember.
 19. The weight bar locking mechanism according to claim 1wherein said parallel placed surfaces are connected to a weight liftingapparatus.
 20. The weight bar locking mechanism according to claim 1wherein when said rod member is engaged in said weight bar lockingmechanism said rod member is maintained in an essentially parallelrelationship with a ground surface.